Planning a healthy pregnancy

So, such a woman should:

1. Take care of her diet.

If she eats irregularly, quickly, reaches for fast foods and sweets very often, and her BMI is below or above standard (less than 18 and more than 25), now is the best time to change eating habits for healthier ones. In her everyday menu there should be included 2 portions of fruits, 3 portions of vegetables, wholemeal products (bread, pasta), products rich in calcium. A future mother should eat healthy fish 2-3 times a week.

2. Stand on the scales

Body Mass Index (BMI) should be higher than 18 but lower than 30 – if it is not, you struggle with being overweight or even obesity. Abnormal body weight may make getting pregnant difficult because it may affect hormonal balance and leads to problems with ovulation. Being underweight and obesity are also causes of pregnancy complications such as low birth weight, diabetes, hypertension.

3. Take folic acid

It must be remembered to take folic acid tablet (0.4 mg) supplements at least 3 months before planned pregnancy. Supplementing with folic acid will support the development of the fetus and reduce the risk of serious disorders in a child like a neural tube defect.

4. Gynecologist and tests

Just now you need to think of choosing a trusted gynecologist who will guide you during pregnancy. Your doctor should take care of ordering tests (cervical smears, ultrasound scan) in order to check if there is no cervical ulceration or vaginomycosis and order basic blood tests (blood count, urine test, test for the presence of German measles antibodies, toxoplasmosis, cytomegaly). It is worth visiting your dentist as well. During pregnancy it is more difficult to treat inflammations and cavities which may become dangerous for the baby at the same time.

5. Beware of infections

Health during pregnancy planning is extremely important, so you have to beware of infections which might do harm to your baby later. You should avoid blue cheese and products made of unpasteurized milk (because of listeriosis), raw or undercooked meat and fish (due to the risk of toxoplasmosis infection), stale or spoiled products. Hygiene is highly important: avoid direct contact of your skin with rubbish, stay away from detergents, wash your hands before meals and after you have played with a cat.

6. Resign from alcohol and cigarettes

You should absolutely forget about cigarettes and alcohol – they are enemies of both fertility and baby’s health. They make getting pregnant more difficult (disrupt the course of woman’s cycle), and the moment it is successful, they may disrupt fetal development and even lead to a miscarriage.

7. Enjoy sex

Too much focusing on trying to conceive a baby is a nightmare of many couples, because the stress makes it hard to derive real pleasure from mutual closeness and delays the moment of conception. Having sex spontaneously, for pleasure, increases the chances of conception in spite of appearances.

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